Waiting Tables Podcast

Find the show notes and more at https://waiting-tables.com. Q. Why did you write this book? Deepak: There are a few reasons why I studied the subject and wrote this book. First, as a pastor who supervises our children’s ministry and youth staff, I was surprised at how little information was available to help us think about preventing abuse in church settings. And what little was available was out of print. I read and studied in order to help our local church think about how to build a better firewall to prevent child abuse. Second, as a pastor of counseling, I once had a chance to talk to Dr. Anna Salter, who is one of the nation’s leading experts on sexual offenders. I asked her about her thoughts on how churches handle sexual abuse…and well, let’s just say she was very clear on how churches do a poor job in preventing and responding to child abuse. That put an idea in my head that something needed to be written. Third, and finally, I was at a conference geared at helping churches prevent child abuse, and

I speak with Eric Syfrett about the basics of finances for churches. After earning degrees in economics and accounting, Eric became the children's and an accountant at his church. He now serves as the Executive Pastor of Kings Park International Church. Many pastors and church leaders have little-to-no training in the specifics of church finances and are required to learn on the job. Managing church finances not only requires biblical wisdom and financial practices, it also requires conformity to legal requirements. Eric talks about how churches are stewards of the gifts God has given them, and thus are called to handled their money well. This requires communicating with our congregations about our needs and how the finances will be used; it requires protocols and accountability for handling money as it comes it so that we are above reproach; it requires careful budgeting and continual expense control. In a day when we continually hear about church financial scandals, Pastor Syfrett offers refreshing, bibl

In this episode, I talk with Seth Houser ways in which ministry projects can be effectively managed. Seth’s serves as a summer camp director for a Christian camp in the Smoky Mountains, and he also serves as an elder in his local church body. Seth shares how the leadership of his church adopted Basecamp as a tool for organization, communication, and collaboration. Using software can help you delegate projects, keep track of projects once delegated, and remind those who've taken them on of their responsibility. Having a way to keep track of what has been decided in meetings and what thought processes you went through to get to that point is invaluable. If someone in your congregation comes to you asking about a specific topic that has been debated and decided upon, you can draw on those records to walk them through explaining the thought process behind the decision. You can find links mentioned in this episode and all our other episodes at waiting-tables.com.

In this episode, I speak with Josh Navey, children's pastor at Summit. He is involved in ministering to the children of Summit, from birth to the fourth grade level. Three different kinds of child safety are discussed in this episode: Physical Safety at Church from Intruders Sexual Abuse Prevention Safety from Natural Disasters and Fire Child abuse is the #1 reason that churches are taken to court. Having a child safety policy in place, even if you are a small church, is important. Look online for child safety policies. In some cases, if insurance companies see that you have a policy in place, it could affect your rates positively, depending on what that policy is. Two important things to enforce when allowing workers to interact with the children: Background checks on all workers 18 years and older. Accufax and other companies can do background checks for you. Make sure these checks are updated every 3-5 years. Be aware that there are rules on how the background check reports can be stored properly; t

I speak with Tim Challies, author and pastor, about his book Do More Better. Tim helpful frames productivity in a Christian worldview, and his little book is very helpful for church leaders who have to juggle a breadth of responsibilities and priorities. Why Productivity Tim Challies defines productivity as Productivity is effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God. As Christians, we should strive to be good stewards of our time and energy out of our love of God and love for others. A systematic approach to productivity is not an end to itself, but a outworking of the greatest commandment. An understanding of productivity needs to begin with an understanding of the reason you exist. Productivity is not what will bring purpose to your life, but what will enable you to excel in living out your existing purpose. Tim Challies in Do More Better Productivity and Personal Mission Statements I talk with Tim about how he has found it hel

I talk with Josh Byers about his recent blog post Church Video on a Budget of $1000. Josh explains how to use a DSLR camera, a microphone, and basic lighting for recording "basic interviews, testimonies, life stories and other video productions your church may have." Here's a video from Josh's team: A few years ago, it would've required a huge budget and a professional team to produce a video like that. Josh talks about how you can get the basic equipment for just over $1000. Three Point Lighting Three point lighting is a standard technique for illuminating a subject in video or photos. This technique is one of the best things you can do to give video a professional look. Here's a tutorial explaining three point lighting:

Show notes for this episode are available at waiting-tables.com/episode/microphones-for-churches/. Todd Messer, my guest from Episode 6, joins us again to discuss microphones in specific detail. Todd discusses the types and uses of microphones with me and gives helpful tips on things to consider with microphone setup. Microphone Physics There is a lot of physics involved in microphone construction. It is important to understand transducer types when dealing with microphones. A transducer takes one form of energy and changes it into a different form of energy. In microphones, there two primary types of transducers: acoustic and electrical. Dynamic: Acoustic energy moves a core in a coil inside the microphone generating electrical signal. Dynamic microphones tend to be less expensive and very sturdy. Condenser: A capacitor inside the microphone converts sound to electric signal; a power source is necessary for this type of microphone. Tend to be more fragile and breakable. Most cheaper microphones are dynam

In this episode, I speak with Todd Messer, teacher and technology coordinator at a Christian school in New Jersey. Todd is also an active member of his local church, where he volunteers his skills serving in audio. We delve into the nitty gritty of church audio equipment and recommend some ways you can determine what sort of system best fits your church’s audio needs. In order to determine what type of audio equipment would best fit your church’s needs, consider the goals you have for your audio equipment: What kind of amplification do you need? Does your church have 30 members or 500 members? What size is your auditorium(sanctuary?)? What are the acoustics in the building like? Do you plan on broadcasting or recording your audio content? Show notes for this episode are available at waiting-tables.com/episode/basics-of-church-audio-equipment/.

I speak with Joe Gallant of churchtrain.uk, a consultant agency for "Equipping UK churches and volunteers to communicate effectively". Joe helps church leaders think about improving their communications, especially focused on church communications in a digital age. Joe suggests that churches should ask three basic questions about all their communications: What are you saying? What are they hearing? How should you say it? These seem basic and straightforward, yet many church leaders don't step back to reflect on them. This can result in communications being ineffective and confusing. Listen to Joe and I talk about what these questions can help you direct your church communications efforts to help you effectively present yourself to your desired audience and represent your church in an authentic way. Show notes for this episode are available at waiting-tables.com/episode/church-communications-with-churchtrain-uk/.

Show notes for this episode are available at waiting-tables.com/episode/graphic-design-with-matt-heerema/.

I talk with Tim Renshaw about how churches could consider using social media. Show notes are available at waiting-tables.com/episode/social-media-for-churches-101.

I talk with Matthew Sewell about Flocknote, an email and text message based communication tool for churches. You can find Flocknote at Flocknote.com. Show notes for this episode are available at waiting-tables.com/episode/flocknote-church-communication-tool/.

I sit down with Pastor Chad Ashby to talk about logistical and administrative needs of small churches, the value of clear communication, and my vision for Waiting Tables. Show notes for this episode are available at waiting-tables.com/episode/episode-1/.